Midland Road robbers, and hot cars at Indy

Stories from 1921 Star Courier clipping

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By Dave Clarke

Star Courier - Kewanee, IL

By Dave Clarke

Posted Mar. 30, 2013 at 9:30 AM

By Dave Clarke

Posted Mar. 30, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Kewanee

Dangers faced by motorists on roads today include drunk drivers, roaming deer and potholes. But in 1921, autoists, as they were called in the early days of motoring, apparently had an entirely different danger to worry about — highwaymen.

Our attic exploration turned up a Monday, May 30, 1921, Star Courier with a front-page story about people traveling between Kewanee and Galva on Midland Road being held up by a band of robbers.

“Six automobile parties said to have been stopped, police are called,” the smaller headline read under the lead “Bold Holdup on Road Near Here Reported Today.”

A “party of hold-up men” were said to be at work on the road near Midland Country Club. “Several machines (cars) were stopped and the occupants robbed of their valuables by six masked and armed men who came from hiding places along the road,” the story read.

The first account came from Dewey Lord of Galva, who was coming to Kewanee when three miles from the country club he was stopped by a party in an automobile who warned he had better turn around as they had been stopped and robbed. He apparently took the advice and returned to Galva.

Kewanee Chief of Police Ashley said the “night force” had received a call from Galva Mayor Howard Mellow that a party of men was robbing automobiles near Midland. Officers Davis and Saddler hurried to Midland in the police automobile and scoured the surrounding neighborhood but were unable to find anyone who was robbed, or any trace of the robbers.

The article also reported, “Several times of late complaint has been made against the actions of a gang of rowdies who make a practice of causing a disturbance along the road between Wethersfield village and Midland Club.”

So, next time you’re driving between Kewanee and Galva on Midland Road, be on the lookout for that “gang of rowdies” and at all costs, avoid being held up!

Still with the motoring theme, the big news on May 30, 1921, was the ninth running of the 500-mile Memorial Day dash. “Indianapolis Auto Races Today” read the largest headline across the top of the front page.

The story was written by J.L. O’Sullivan, United Press correspondent, and said, “During the night the highways were lined with camp fires of those who gathered early to obtain the most desirable position inside the oval track.”

Sweltering heat was predicted to prevent record-breaking speeds on the hot Speedway bricks. Twenty-three cars manned by drivers from four nations were entered — American, French, British and Italian.

Total prize money offered was $100,000 of which a purse of $20,000 went to the winner and $10,000 for second place. The winner of each of the first 150 laps received $100, and a similar amount was paid to the winner of every alternate lap after the 150th.

Page 2 of 2 - The names of old cars are always interesting, mainly because they no longer exist and we’ve never heard of most of them.

The favorite was a French-made car called the Ballot, driven by a man listed only as De Palma. “Hopes of the American racers this year were banked on the Duesenberg and Frontenac racing creations,” the story said. The Americans were faced with the task of beating an imposing array of Peugeots, Sunbeams and a Talbot-Barracq, it went on to say.

Apparently the race had not been completed, and may not have even started, by the time the newspaper went to press since there is no mention of the start of the race, who was leading, or who won.

Utilizing modern technology, the Star Courier’s resident racing fan, Rocky Stuffelbeam, went to the Internet and found that Ralph DePalma dominated the early running, but failed to win the 1921 “500.” He led 109 laps, and had a two-lap lead at the halfway point when a connecting rod broke and he dropped out on lap 112. DePalma retired with one win, and 612 laps led, a record which would not be matched for 67 years until Al Unser Sr. tied it in 1987.

American Tommy Milton won the first of his two 500 victories May 30, 1921 accompanied by riding mechanic Harry Franck, which was the practice back then. He drove a Louis Chevrolet at an average speed of 89.62 mph.

Only 8 of the 23 cars finished the race with Americans behind the wheel of the first six placers. Reasons for dropping out included broken water hoses, rods, axles and a lost hood. Crashes eliminated three cars and one hit the wall.

Might have had better odds taking their chances with the highwaymen on Midland Road.